


A bite taken from the poison apple

by chaelattes



Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Alternate Universe - Vampire, Hanahaki Disease, Hoseok is a lovesick puppy, Hyungwon hates everyone and everything, Hyungwon is also a dancer with Hyunwoo, M/M, Minhyuk is a huge worrywart, University student Hyungwon, University student Shin Hoseok | Wonho, Vampire Shin Hoseok | Wonho, Vampire Yoo Kihyun, side joohyuk and changki
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-31
Updated: 2018-07-15
Packaged: 2019-03-11 23:57:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 18,916
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13535286
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chaelattes/pseuds/chaelattes
Summary: Hyungwon has met many people in his life, but none of them had this effect on him. None of them made him feel like this. So why is it that this man — who he hasn’t even seen before in his entire life — suddenly turned him into every male lead in one of hollywood’s big budged love at first sight romcoms?





	1. What is love?

Love was a beautiful thing.

Finding his soulmate and spending the rest of his life with them - that was all he wanted. But apparently, love wasn’t made for supernatural beings such as himself.

Lee Hoseok was a vampire. He has been around for centuries, just watching as the world around him constantly changed. After being around for that long, you’d think he would’ve found his soulmate already. But he hasn’t. He felt that ever since the day he was turned into a vampire, it was as if there was some sort of curse put on him as well, which was preventing him from finding his special someone. Perhaps he was overthinking it, but he has waited for far too long.

Whenever he saw couples together, he couldn’t help but to feel slightly jealous. He remembered one particular moment which took place a few years back. He was being dragged out by his friends — Kihyun and Changkyun — to the park. He didn’t see why they would need to take him with them when they had each other, they were soulmates after all. Maybe it was to prevent him from feeling left out, but he always ended up feeling the opposite. They were busy talking to each other and Hoseok was just a third wheel with them. He decided to divert his attention elsewhere, but this didn’t help much either as he started noticing things he didn’t want to know about. All the couples in the park... the way they held hands with their fingers intertwined, the way they both walked in sync, the way they kept close to one another, and even the way they looked at each other with such warmth and affection. Hoseok couldn’t ignore the burn he felt in his throat, the ache in his chest, and the bitterness at the tip of his tongue. He remembered it all too well.

Why did _they_ get to experience all the good things that life had to offer, he thought.

Hoseok was always envious of the humans. They did whatever they wanted and got whatever they wanted, they never allowed anything to stand between them and their desires. In a way, that was also bad too. They would commit terrible deeds in order to obtain what they want, such as stealing in order to get some money, or even killing their own if they have what they don’t. It would be even easier for Hoseok to do these things and he could probably do much worse, but unfortunately such actions went completely against his morals.

He used to be a very bright and positive person. He was always there for those he cared about. Even for those he barely knew, he never built a barrier around him which most people would do around people they’re unfamiliar with. Everyone felt a sense of belonging whenever they were around him, there was hardly anyone that disliked him. Even if they did, it would be because they were envious of the way he is. He always tried his best to ensure that his neighbourhood was safe from any trouble. However, all of this began to change once his friends found out that they were soulmates. Whenever the three would get together, Hoseok would always feel like the odd one out. This wasn’t just a one time thing either, he was constantly getting pushed aside, it was as if he wasn’t even there. Hoseok never brought it up though, he just brushed it off as something silly and insignificant — as him just being upset that his friends were ignoring him. But that was far from the truth. After taking some thought, Hoseok realised that what he was really feeling was emptiness and loneliness. The missing piece, it was a soulmate. If he had someone beside him, he would constantly shower them with as much love and affection as possible. If he was honest, he would probably ignore his friends too if he had his significant other with him.

In an attempt to get rid of the negative emotions, he even tried dating other people. But of course, at the end of the day, they weren’t his soulmates. It never worked out. He always kept telling himself to be patient, but he was no longer as optimistic as he was a few years back. Perhaps it was time for him to give up, even vampires get tired of waiting.

 

————————————————

 

Love was a pile of shit.

Whenever couples passed by doing all that cheesy mushy crap, it made him gag. The closeness in way they held each other, the emotions in their eyes when they looked at each other, he just didn’t understand it. Especially when they exchanged their ‘I love you’ to each other, it just made him feel uncomfortable. How could they say something like that so easily?

But, this was all because of the way he was brought up. All he remembered from when he was a child was seeing his parents in separate corners doing their own thing, while he was just... there. He never received much affection from them at all, he never got to experience what other kids did with their parents. He also always found it very difficult to express whatever he felt, he’d end up repressing everything out of the fear that he’ll look like an idiot while trying to talk about his emotions. He hated it. His parents didn’t exactly make him feel comfortable enough to talk to them either. They often walked in on him talking to himself and just came to the conclusion that he was losing his mind. Because he seems so closed off and almost emotionless, people often shied away from him. He didn’t earn the nickname ‘ice prince’ for no reason.

Even in all the relationships he’s been in, just to see what it was all about, none of them were even slightly decent. Who needs a soulmate anyway? He was better off alone for the rest of his life, and he preferred it that way.

If he was honest, there were rare moments where he would feel just a _little_ lonely, but he always kept these thoughts to himself. If his friends knew, they would definitely try to hook him up with someone, and he really didn’t want that. It was annoying enough as it is that his friends — Minhyuk and Jooheon — were basically soulmates, so he had to just sit there and watch as they gave each other dumb nicknames and kissed. Well, more like eating each others faces. But —  as stone-hearted as Hyungwon may seem — he wasn’t a _complete_ asshole. Maybe he wouldn’t ever find any happiness, but he never ruined it or tried to take it away from anyone else, despite having those odd occasions where he’d feel a little envious.

Minhyuk kept telling him that everyone has a soulmate and that he’d find his his own too, but Hyungwon really didn’t want to find that. Spending the rest of your life with that one person; if he was honest, the thought scared him. After certain events that took place in the past, Hyungwon found it very difficult to trust others. He couldn’t even trust his own friends who he has known for years, which only made it more difficult to imagine ever fully trusting a soulmate. Wherever this supposed ‘special someone’ of his was, he really hoped that they would never meet. Ever. It was for the best. Hyungwon was better off alone.

 

————————————————

 

It was 3 in the morning and Hoseok found himself wandering through the streets, occasionally stopping to observe the humans that passed by. Sometimes Hoseok wondered if others would label him as a crazy for deciding to take a walk at such a time, but what others thought became redundant in comparison to the need to clear his mind. There was an awful buzzing sensation in his head, and a faint ringing sound in his ears which made it impossible to rest. There were worse times where his body would just freeze and he ended up just sitting there with his head in his hands, allowing the negative thoughts to consume him. It fried his nerves and turned him jittery. 

Right now, he was feeling more down than usual, and the only reason why he chose such an absurd timing to go outside was because during the day, he’d see couples walking around everywhere. He couldn’t help but to feel just a _little_ envious. Most of the people he knew had already found their soulmates, but apparently luck wasn’t on Hoseok’s side. Maybe if he wasn’t an immortal being, he would have already found his soulmate. His friends — Kihyun and Changkyun — would often tease him for his urgent need for love and affection, but at this point he couldn’t even deny it anymore. The loneliness that Hoseok felt had become a lot worse now than it was before. He wanted to come home to someone — he needed to have someone who would sit down and listen to him rambling about how his day went, and he would listen to them too. His bed felt so cold and empty, he wanted someone that he could embrace and protect. But no, it seemed that sort of life just wasn’t meant for him. He had hoped that taking a walk would help him think about other things instead, but it only did the opposite. The loneliness — the ache in his heart, it was all coming back. Maybe he should go down to the club or something, just to drink all his problems away. Yeah, what a _great_ idea.

As soon as he got there and stepped inside, the scents of stale air and pheromones mixed together felt like a harsh slap to the face. Places like these really brought out the inner animals in most people, and Hoseok despised it. It was also in places like these where you’d find the people who have cheated on their soulmates. Hoseok didn’t think that it was possible, but apparently these things did happen. It was just extremely rare.

Pushing past the huge crowd, Hoseok sat down and asked the bartender for some vodka. He didn’t know why, but vodka somehow managed to tone down his thirst for blood, but only for a short period of time. It made it easier for him to be around groups of humans without wanting to tear out their throats. Usually, he relied on his tablets which were specifically made to suppress his natural vampire instincts. He would hunt at night, knowing that it would be easier for him to hide out and blend in with the darkness. But today, since his thoughts were pretty much scrambled, so he completely forgot to take his tablets. Though, going to a place swarmed with humans — during the time he would usually hunt — he should have taken them. There was no use worrying about it now, he had his vodka so it was fine — as long as there was no blood. 

Once the beverage was given to him, he picked up the glass and swung around on the chair, turning around so that he could watch the humans as they danced together. Letting out a small sigh, Hoseok brought the glass to his lips and took a sip from the vodka. The sight wasn’t doing a good job at killing his boredom.

As he continued scanning the room, his eyes fixed onto a tall figure in the distance. He started scrutinising the other from head to toe, but then the figure got closer and closer, and Hoseok couldn’t pull his gaze away. His beautiful blond hair was styled up and parted to the side — he had round eyes, the colour warm and sweet like melted chocolate and thinking with life even in the dim light of the club. His lips were rosy and plump, like the velvety petals of a flower that bloomed on a soft face, not unlike those carefully carved from marble in ancient times. It reminded him of those Japanese manga style paintings he’d see in the galleries he visited a long time ago, even the structures of people that were made. 

All the years that Hoseok has been alive, not once had he seen someone _this_ beautiful. It was almost as if this person was a god — an angel that has fallen from heaven — not anywhere near human. His round face, his curved nose, his uneven ear, and even the mole on the centre of his lower lip. This person, in Hoseok’s eyes, was truly perfect. Everything around him was blocked out, and his gaze completely fixed onto the beautiful work of art who was walking right towards him.

Hoseok hoped that this person had come over to talk to him, but instead he just walked right past him and sat near the back with two other people. So he came with a few friends then. Judging by how clingy and affectionate one of them was being towards him, and the way the beautiful boy looked at them with the most loving look in his eyes, perhaps that was his soulmate. Well, whoever the soulmate of that guy is, they are extremely lucky.

He suddenly started having that same burn in his throat that he felt years ago when he saw the couples in the park, and his head started buzzing like it was doing just earlier too. It was overwhelming. Perhaps it was jealousy, or maybe he drank too much, but either way, he should head off...

For someone who was basically dead, Hoseok’s heart was beating like no tomorrow — making him feel more alive than ever.

 

————————————————

 

Hyungwon’s day had gone horrible. As soon as he woke up and realised that he had hopelessly overslept and was running late for class, the day already felt fucked. He knew that university was never going to be easy, but this was starting to get too unbearable. He had new assignments thrown at him left right and centre, he had no time to even breathe. What did the teachers think he was, he thought — probably a robot with no social life. Hyungwon hardly had any time for himself either. He was about to cancel his dance practice with Hyunwoo too, just so he had more time to work on his assignments. Hyungwon knew Hyunwoo wouldn’t mind, but he cancelled on him enough this week. He didn’t want the older to feel as if he didn’t want to spend time with him at all. He decided to forget about his assignments — which he’ll probably regret later — and instead chose to go straight to dance practice with Hyunwoo after he finished with his classes. He needed to get his mind away from studying for a while, it was only going to stress him out more if he tried getting all the work done at once.

“Hyungwon!” Hyunwoo grinned as he caught a glimpse of Hyungwon coming into the practice room, but that happy expression was quickly replaced with worry and concern as he noticed the state his friend was in. Hyungwon usually looked more excited whenever he came, Hyunwoo knew how much he loved dancing. But today, he just looked fed up. His jaw clenched tightly and hands balled into fists, there was a frown pulling at his brows and his expression cold and detached — yet the the annoyance on his face did little to hide the marrow deep exhaustion that the bags under his eyes exuded.

“Hey... you don’t look so good. Is everything okay?” A small frown curved onto the older male’s lips, and he pulled Hyungwon over to sit him down. “I’m-... no... I can’t lie about this anymore.” He kept this in for so long now, and dealing with all of these emotions alone was starting to get difficult, so he hoped that maybe talking about it briefly with someone else would help. Hyungwon looked up at Hyunwoo, who simply responded with a small nod, allowing him to continue. “Life is stressful, hyung. This week was basically my breaking point, I almost snapped under all the pressure. So many assignments to do... and then more taunting from my family about getting the best grades only... it’s suffocating.” Hyungwon kept it short, he didn’t want to overwhelm his friend by pouring out too much of his feelings.

Hyungwon was very reserved and quiet, he never spoke more than he needed to. He always kept to himself and dealt with his issues alone, suffering in silence. This somehow gave most people the impression that he was cold and emotionless. He preferred it that way. But he knew that at this point, he needed to have someone that he could talk to. It contradicted the cold unemotional front that he always puts up, but he really felt like he would break if he repressed this any further. As much as he loved Minhyuk and Jooheon, he didn’t feel as if he could talk to them about these things. Minhyuk especially, would bombard him with questions because he worries so damn much, and it would all get too overwhelming. Although he might not get any support on the emotional side from Hyunwoo, at least he remained calm and collected in situations like these. He wouldn’t have to worry about getting asked questions that he doesn’t want to answer either.

Right now, the last thing Hyungwon needed was his friends panicking like idiots because of him.

“That sounds rough... I’m sorry you’ve had to deal with that.” Hyunwoo started, giving the younger male a light pat on the back. “You can do this, and I’ll always be here for you, you know that right?” Hyungwon couldn’t fight back the faint smile that curved onto his lips. Hyunwoo always knew the right things to say. “I know.. and I appreciate it a lot. Thank you for putting up with my bullshit for so long.” Before Hyungwon could say anything else, he let out a small whine as Hyunwoo roughly pinched his cheeks. “No, I’m not ‘putting up’ with anything. You’re my friend, I’m doing this because I want to.”

Damn it, now Hyungwon just wanted to cry. He was being far too emotional today and it was starting to make him uncomfortable.

“Hyung... can we...?” He didn’t mean to break the sudden loving atmosphere, he just wasn’t used to all that mushy stuff. Understanding that Hyungwon wanted to drop the topic now, Hyunwoo nodded his head and stood up, before pulling the younger male up as well. “Okay, let’s continue with the choreo we’ve been practicing.”

 

***********

 

The dancing definitely helped with letting off some steam, but for some reason he still felt down. He didn’t understand why; maybe it was because Hyunwoo brought up the soulmate topic. He suggested that maybe what Hyungwon needed was his soulmate — someone that he could depend on, someone that would be there for him, be his shoulder to cry on, and to protect him. Hyungwon never felt so vulnerable before in his entire life, Hyunwoo saw right through him.

Hyungwon made it clear that the soulmate topic was forbidden, it was something that they should never talk about. It made him uncomfortable, and the thought of getting emotionally attached to anyone ever again scared the life out of him — the fear that made him feel queasy and turned his hands clammy. If he was honest, he didn’t believe in soulmates all too much. If that was really a thing, then why were there people out there who cheated on their supposed ‘soulmate’? (But) then again, he also sees people like Minhyuk and Jooheon, and it’s quite obvious that they were destined to be. None of it made any sense to him, it was the confusion that made his head spin — which was why he made the decision to avoid ever talking about love, soulmates, feelings, and all that nonsense. Ever. But he also knew that it couldn’t be avoided forever, someone would eventually bring it up. He just didn’t think that it would be Hyunwoo out of all people. 

All these emotions overcoming him all at once — they were driving him crazy. He was currently on his way home, and with the current state he was in, he wouldn’t be surprised if he ended up getting run over by a car because he was too lost in his thoughts. Surprisingly he made it back alive, but now he had to try and seem perfectly fine in front of Minhyuk and Jooheon. Hyungwon already told Hyunwoo to keep quiet about what he told him today, but knowing that even he has a worrywart side, he probably asked Minhyuk to keep an eye on him to make sure he doesn’t do anything stupid. If that was the case, then he was definitely screwed.

 

His suspicions were only proven correct as he was jumped on by Minhyuk as soon as he opened the door. His body was as light as a feather, he almost fell back and had to hold onto the wall with one arm to keep his balance, while keeping the other around the other male.  _Damn it Hyunwoo. It shouldn’t be that difficult to keep quiet._

 

“Wonnie!! Is everything okay?? Hyunwoo hyung told us that you didn’t seem too good toda— Oh god are those bags under your eyes?? Chae Hyungwon, you have _a lot_ of explaining to do!” Minhyuk got off, allowing Hyungwon to come inside.

“Minhyuk, look, while I appreciate that you’re concerned, I really don’t want to talk about it...” Hyungwon muttered, before taking his coat off and hanging it up onto the peg. Without giving Minhyuk a chance to protest in response, Hyungwon quickly walked away and made his way over to the kitchen, pouring himself a glass of water. He could hear Minhyuk stomping over to him from behind and just let out a huge sigh. He wasn’t going to drop it until he got answers. Looks like he’ll be forced to tell him just so he’d leave him alone. But instead of being scolded at like he expected to be, Minhyuk was just staring at him. There wasn’t any anger visible in his expression, just sadness and clear concern.

 

 _“Wow Hyungwon, you’re the biggest asshole on this entire planet.”_ Hyungwon caught himself thinking with a pang of of guilt right before Minhyuk spoke up again.

 

“I don’t expect you to tell me, Wonnie. I won’t force you to, especially if the topic makes you uncomfortable. It’s just that I’ve noticed you haven’t been yourself at all recently. Me and Jooheon have been talking, and... we decided to take you out to the club tonight. You deserve to take a break from all this. You try so hard to get all your university stuff done, practicing choreographies for your dance performances with Hyunwoo hyung, all while trying to meet your family’s expectations too. You overwork yourself far too much and you’re destroying yourself in the process. You need to take care of yourself too. I’m worried about you.”

Minhyuk’s words pierced right through Hyungwon’s heart. It seemed that his friends already had their concerns, and Hyunwoo just confirmed them. He caused his friends to worry so much about him, he doesn’t feel that he really has the right to turn down the offer of being taken out. He had to reassure them somehow that he was fine, and the only way he could do that was by going out to this club with them, even though he honestly just wanted to sleep his life away. “...Guess I have no choice. I’ll go.” As soon as Hyungwon gave his response, Minhyuk gave him the widest smile he could make and patted his shoulder. Jooheon randomly appeared after, as if he was listening to the whole conversation and was just waiting for the right moment to come out. “Wonnie, that’s great! We haven’t been out together in a while, I’m so excited!” Hyungwon smiled faintly and gave the other male a light pat on the head. He had to admit, Minhyuk was cute — but of course, he couldn’t say that out loud. Jooheon would skin him alive.

“Yeah... so what time should we go?” After hearing that question being asked, Minhyuk’s innocent smile was suddenly replaced with a devious smirk. _Oh no._

“How does 12 sound? At that time things get... fun.” Minhyuk responded, still keeping that god damn cheeky expression on his face. “Full offence but... are you fucking insane? 12am? I want to sleep. I take it back, I’m gonna go to bed, I hope I don’t wake up. Bye.” Before Hyungwon could walk away, he suddenly felt a very firm hold onto his arm.

Minhyuk was generally very nice and easygoing, but he wasn’t someone that should be messed with. He was also very stubborn. Hyungwon has already agreed to it, there was no backing out now. It was too late.

“You are coming. It isn’t optional. You do not have a choice.” Minhyuk muttered, looking up at Hyungwon with an expression which completely contradicted his tone of voice. “Alright alright... but you better let me go straight to bed when we come back. If any of you even dare to wake me up, I will decapitate you. I won’t hesitate either.” Hyungwon let out a low sound which seemed like a small whine of protest, but Minhyuk just laughed. “We wouldn’t set ourselves up to start another world war, hyung. He was kidding about the time too.” Jooheon patted Hyungwon’s back lightly and grinned, before draping his arm over his shoulder. “Now, I believe we have a club to go to.”

 

***********

 

Coming down here just reminded Hyungwon of why he never went to clubs in the first place. The crowds were one thing, but it was the noise and the evident stench of sweat that annoyed him most.

“Do these people not know that showers exist? God. I feel like I might actually faint.” Hyungwon muttered angrily, before letting out a fake yawn. “I’m tired. Can I go home?”

Upon hearing Hyungwon complaining for what seemed like the thousandth time, Minhyuk playfully hit his arm — but not too hard. He was afraid that he’d send the other flying across the room. “Quit whining and just have fun! Ah, if I knew you were really this boring, I would have left you at home.” Hyungwon scoffed at Minhyuk’s response and brushed right past him, clearly offended at being called boring. “You want fun? I’ll give you fun! Come on then.” The blond grabbed Minhyuk and Jooheon’s arms, dragging them onto the dance floor.

What originally was supposed to be Hyungwon showing off how ‘fun’ he is turned into Minhyuk and Jooheon dancing against each other while Hyungwon ran outside to breathe. He had to calm down and recollect himself. He was here to have fun with his friends and relax, that was it. Hyungwon sighed heavily and stood up, taking a deep breath before entering the club again.

As he got inside, he pushed past a few people on the dance floor and looked over to where the drinks were being served, but there was no sign of Jooheon or Minhyuk. _Maybe they were further back._

Hyungwon managed to squeeze between all the people in the centre and made his way over to the back, where he finally found the two. Minhyuk noticed Hyungwon as well and gestured for him to come over. Sighing for what seemed like the 100th time today, Hyungwon pushed through the crowd and made his way over to his friends; taking a seat beside Minhyuk once he got there. “I was feeling far too uncomfortable with all these people, so I had to go outside for a bit just to breathe. Meanwhile, it seems you both were sitting here chilling the whole time. Wow, such wonderful friends I have.” Hyungwon muttered, before averting his gaze. Minhyuk only laughed at him and gave him a light pat on the back. “I thought you went off with someone or something. Come on, it can’t be that bad here. If it’s really bugging you this much, we’ll go home, okay? If you’re tired, go straight to bed. If not, we can have a little party of our own. Does that sound good?” Hyungwon was about to respond, but then Jooheon coughed a little too loudly — successfully catching Hyungwon and Minhyuk’s attention. “Uh.. hyung.. that guy over there has been staring at you ever since you came here. Wanna try talking to him?” Hyungwon looked up at Minhyuk, hoping that he’d say something against Jooheon’s crazy suggestion. But of course, as expected, he agreed with his soulmate. “Come on Hyungwon! He’s really hot too. Maybe you two are—“ Before Minhyuk could finish, Hyungwon slapped his hand over his mouth. “...We do not talk about that. How many times do I have to tell you? Let’s just go home. I’ve had enough.”

Just when Hyungwon thought that things couldn’t get any worse, he made the mistake of meeting the other male’s gaze.

Those eyes, they almost looked golden. There was a spark in them that Hyungwon couldn’t quite put his finger on, and as he held the stare he could’ve sworn they were glowing through the dim light of the club. His gaze was piercing through Hyungwon’s soul, and for some reason, no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn’t look away. Minhyuk and Jooheon’s attempts to snap him back into reality were useless — all the sounds around him grew muted, making Hyungwon feel almost as if someone had stuffed cotton inside his ears. It felt as if it was only him and the other man in the room. No one else. His heart was beating at a terrifyingly fast pace, and he had no idea why. Hyungwon has met many people in his life, but none of them had this effect on him. None of them made him feel like this. So why is it that this man — who he hasn’t even seen before in his entire life — suddenly turned him into every male lead in one of hollywood’s big budged love at first sight romcoms?

“...won... Hyungwon... Chae Hyungwon!! Hey! Are you even listening?” The blond snapped out of whatever trance he was in and turned to Minhyuk and Jooheon, who looked quite worried. “...I... I’m feeling sick. Can we go now? Please?” Minhyuk nodded and stood up, followed by Jooheon, before helping Hyungwon up as well. They started making their way out from the club, but Hyungwon couldn’t help but to steal just one last glance at the man.

He wasn’t looking back at Hyungwon anymore, and for some reason, it hurt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the people who have been reading this chapter since it was first posted and are reading it again now may notice a few changes — I had a friend of mine (ru) read over it for me and they gave me feedback so that I could improve. I couldn’t have done it without them!! go and read their fics too they’re an amazing writer @wonnietv


	2. Eye contact and a heartbeat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hyungwon was about to brush the thought off, telling himself that he was being silly. But then as soon as the person turned around, it was as if his whole world came crashing down.

That night at the club, ever since Hyungwon first laid eyes on that man, nothing has been the same.

All he could think about was how the other man stopped looking at him as he was leaving. Who was he to make him feel this way — A stranger, making Hyungwon feel so many things. It sounded absurd. It _was_  absurd.

He was immediately pulled out from his thoughts as soon as he heard his alarm. Letting out a small groan, Hyungwon sat up and got his phone from the desk, looking at the time. _crap, he was running late._

He quickly got out from his bed, not even bothering to fix the covers, and went over to the bathroom to wash his face. After that, he went over to his wardrobe and quickly picked out something to wear. Usually he’d stick to wearing anything comfortable, but of course — it was still always something stylish. Hyungwon had an amazing fashion sense, he basically looked good in everything. But, for some reason, he found himself picking out something a lot different than usual. So it seems his mood also affects the kind of clothes he wears then. It was a black shirt, with black ripped jeans and a black leather jacket. Minhyuk and Jooheon were probably already gone too, so that meant that there was no one around to tell him to wear something more ‘bright’.

Once he was ready, he quickly had something for breakfast and left the apartment.

_Let’s hope that today will be a better day._

 

 _  
_************

 

  
As soon as Hyungwon arrived, he quickly got out his ID and showed it to the security guard so that he could go inside. It was strangely quiet, which probably meant that classes weren’t over yet — and that he’d have to walk in with everyone staring at him.

 

_Great, just great._

 

It wouldn’t be too long until classes were over anyway, so he decided to just bunk the rest of it. He had no idea what to do in the meantime, but since it was basically empty he resulted in just walking around the campus. He found himself going up to the roof, the place where he always ended up going whenever he needed to think about things or just to clear his mind. It was his safe space — hardly anyone else ever went there, it was just him. It was useful, especially for whenever he just needed some time to himself.

Just as Hyungwon finally made his way up the stairs, he froze as his eyes suddenly fixed onto a familiar-looking figure sitting on the side. For a second, he had a mini heart attack, thinking — _hoping_ , that it was _him_. He didn’t know why, but he was somewhat happy to believe that maybe it was, but after getting a closer look, he realised that it was someone else. He couldn’t hide the slight disappointment that he felt either, and it annoyed him. He couldn’t get his mind off of _him_ , and it was messing up everything. He couldn’t think straight, his mind continued to go back to that night in the club. He wished he never went to begin with — it was all a mistake that could have been avoided. The fact that it was someone that he didn’t even know — that a god damn _stranger_ was making him feel this way — was just even more embarrassing. Suddenly not wanting to go up on the roof anymore, Hyungwon quietly made his way down the stairs, before looking at his phone to check the time. Classes were over, and he immediately got spammed with texts from Minhyuk, asking where he was. He needed to get away and do something to distract his mind, he couldn’t be thinking about this all day. Experiencing this much emotion all at once was scaring him.

 

_{ Text }_

 

_Hey wonnie baby where are you??? Did you sleep in again? Is everything okay? :(_

_  
I’m fine, don’t worry. Are you free? I need to clear my mind off before classes start again._

_  
Okay!! Meet me outside! Joohoney needs to study ;;; so it’ll just be us two :3_

_  
That’s fine. I’ll meet you outside then. See you._

_  
Bye bye <3_

 

As soon as Hyungwon came outside, he looked around and there were no signs of Minhyuk whatsoever.

 

 _“He better not have gone off...”_ He thought.

 

But before he could do anything else, he suddenly felt hands over his eyes and let out a deep sigh. “Lee Minhyuk I swear to g—“

“Hyungwonnieeeeee~!!! I’ve missed you so muuuchhhh!” Minhyuk flashed that bright grin of his and moved his hands away from Hyungwon’s eyes, before linking their arms together. Minhyuk was very open and clingy with all of his friends, Hyungwon found it amusing sometimes whenever he’d see Jooheon trying to contain his jealousy. “...We literally hung out last night, what is there to miss? Anyway, let’s go.” Hyungwon tried pulling his arm out from Minhyuk’s grip, but it was no use. The other boy was stuck to him like glue.

Deciding to give in to the affection for once, Hyungwon started making his way to the cafe, dragging Minhyuk along with him. As they reached their destination, Hyungwon pushed open the door and stepped aside, quickly setting his arm free from Minhyuk’s iron grip once he got the chance. “Idiots first.” He muttered, with a faint grin curving into his lips. Minhyuk simply laughed pushed past Hyungwon, happily stepping into the cafe. “But you love this idiot.” He mumbled in response, and the groan he got in return from Hyungwon only fed his satisfaction. Hyungwon stepped in afterwards and scanned his surroundings, looking for a place to sit.

Normally, he’d choose to sit by the windows, but it seemed that spot was currently occupied. “Why do people enjoy taking my favourite space...” Hyungwon let out a small grunt and Minhyuk giggled, lightly tugging onto the taller male’s sleeve. “It happens. Don’t sulk baby, we’ll find somewhere else to sit. Oh look! There’s a nice little space at the back, let’s sit there.” Without giving Hyungwon the chance to respond, Minhyuk dragged him to the said area and sat down, and then Hyungwon went to sit opposite him. “It’s not the same.” Hyungwon huffed and placed his elbows onto the table, before moving his head forward to rest his chin onto his hands. Minhyuk extended his hand forward and lightly ruffled Hyungwon’s hair. He always found it so cute whenever the younger got all pouty like this. “No whining! Now come on, let’s get something. What do you want to order? I’ll pay. You asked to come out but this’ll be my special treat for you. No buts.”

Hyungwon wasn’t really in the mood to argue back with Minhyuk as he usually would, so he simply nodded his head and hummed. “If you say so. I’m going to order the lemon meringue cheesecake, what about you?” Minhyuk nodded and hummed in thought, before giving a response. “Hm... okay, I’ll have the ferrero rocher milkshake.” After that, he called the waiter and placed their orders.

While Minhyuk was busy talking, Hyungwon rested his head on the table and started spacing out. His eyes eventually found their way to the seat beside the window where he usually sits, and without realising he started staring at the person sitting there. _why does he look so_ _familiar...?_

It was the same situation as earlier — when he was on the roof. Hyungwon was about to brush the thought off, telling himself that he was being silly. But then as soon as the person turned around, it was as if his whole world came crashing down.

 

————————————————

 

Hoseok was impatiently tapping his foot against the leg of the table, waiting for class to be over. It was as if time was only slowing down — Hoseok just wanted to go home. The fact that his thirst was stronger now than before wasn’t helping at all either. If it wasn’t for his good self control, he probably would have jumped on someone already. As the bell finally rung, Hoseok shot up from his seat and bolted out from the classroom, pushing right through the crowd. He had to feed now, he didn’t know if he could restrain himself from killing someone any longer.

Making sure that no one was around first, he quickly made his way into the janitor’s room and closed the door, locking it from behind. After that he placed his bag on the table and unzipped it, taking out a blood bag. He knew it was risky keeping those with him, but at least it prevented him from feeding on any humans. Ripping the top open, he chugged down all the blood, letting out a small groan of satisfaction as he done so. Hearing the door handle being pulled caused him to jump, and he quickly turned around, stepping closer to the door. He couldn’t speak, he wasn’t even supposed to be in here anyway. If it was the janitor, he’d be screwed. But, to his relief, he got a text from Kihyun, asking to open the door. Doing as he was told, he unlocked the door and hesitantly opened it, before letting out a heavy sigh as he saw his friend standing there. “God- Kihyun, you scared me. I thought it was the janitor.”

Kihyun scoffed and stepped into the room, locking the door behind him after he did. “Only I know about this secret hideout of yours, you idiot. Now, gimme one of your blood bag thingies. I’m starving. I swear to god I was so close to ripping out the teacher’s throat.” Hoseok let out another sigh, before taking a blood bag out from his bag and passing it over to Kihyun. “I bet you actually would have done it, you’re so impulsive. Now, I know this can’t be the only reason you decided to come here. Come on, spill.” Kihyun grunted a little, before slapping Hoseok’s arm. “I hate how you always know everything. Anyway, yes, I have come here to invite you to tag along with me and Changkyun to this cafe which just opened recently — and is nearby. You aren’t allowed to say no.”

Hoseok paused for a moment or so, trying to register everything that Kihyun just told him before responding. “I-...uh... so I’m basically going to third wheel you two on your date...?” That earned Hoseok another slap from Kihyun. “No, dumbass. We’re going out together, you aren’t third wheeling anything. Me and Kyunnie have something else planned for later anyway. Now let’s go, you know he’ll throw a tantrum if we make him wait.” Without even allowing Hoseok to respond, Kihyun grabbed his arm and dragged him out of their university building.

Changkyun was waiting outside, and as soon as he caught a glimpse of Kihyun and Hoseok, he shot them a sharp glare. “You’re late.” Kihyun smiled innocently and draped his arm over the other’s shoulder, attempting to flirt his way out of this. “Come on now baby, it’s not that big of a deal. We’re here now and that’s all that matters, yeah?” Changkyun turned his head to the side slightly, nuzzling his lover’s neck in an affectionate manner. “You’re lucky I love you.” He mumbled, before taking Kihyun’s hand and grabbing Hoseok’s arm. “Let’s go.”

Changkyun and Kihyun were just flirting for the majority of the time as they were making their way over to the cafe. It only made Hoseok feel more lonely, and it reminded him of the god-like being he saw at the club. If only they could meet again... he would do anything just to get the chance to see the blond beauty once more. Ever since that night, he hasn’t been able to get his mind off him. Not a single second has passed by without the thought of that man occurring in his mind. It was driving him crazy.

“Hello...? Earth to Hoseok??” Kihyun waved his hand in front of his friend’s face, letting out a heavy sigh. Hoseok was immediately pulled out of his thoughts, and he looked at Kihyun with a clueless expression. “My god Hoseok, you’ve been spacing out too much lately. Pull yourself together. What do you want to order? Me and Kyunnie already got ours while you were up on cloud nine.” Hoseok frowned and looked through the menu, hoping to find something that would catch his eye. “This... the white choc blizzard.” Kihyun nodded and called the waiter over to place Hoseok’s order.

Hoseok averted his gaze from his friends and stared out the window. Sometimes he really hated being this way — why was he so fussed about finding someone to be with? It bothered him so god damn much, and his friends flirting right in front of him 24/7 only made things worse.

 

 _Maybe it was because he was always_ _by himself for all these years._

 

Finding out that he had a soulmate who was out there somewhere — waiting for him — it gave him hope. He didn’t want to be alone anymore. Yes, he had his friends with him, but it wasn’t the same. He needed someone that could support him emotionally — someone who was willing to listen to him. But at the same time, he also wants to have someone that he can protect. He wants to be that shoulder his soulmate could cry on. Is that really too much to ask for?

He turned away from the window once his order arrived, but he paused upon feeling someone’s gaze burning into him. Only his friends were aware of this, but Hoseok could sense auras from people. Even if the person didn’t verbally express their emotions, Hoseok somehow still knew how they were feeling. No one could hide anything from him. Right now, this aura screamed with fear — with anxiousness, and confusion. Out of curiosity, he looked up to see where this strong aura was radiating from, and after a while his eyes finally met a pair of beautiful, large, dark brown ones. Those eyes, they looked frighteningly familiar. But who did they belong to?

 

_No... it can’t be..._

 

Hoseok blinked a couple of times, but the same person was still there, staring right into his soul. _It was him._

He was fighting back the urge to go right over to the blond and ask what was wrong. They were both strangers to each other, nothing more. Therefore, he didn’t even have the right to show any sign of concern.

Despite his mind saying no with a capital ‘N’, his heart continued to protest. He felt this sudden ache in his chest whenever he attempted to look away from the other. If he could, Hoseok would hold this staring competition for eternity. It was so hard to look away. Whenever he tried, he always ended up looking back at the other male again.

Hoping to get some sort of response out of the other — even if it wasn’t verbal — he gave him the most brightest grin he could make. At that moment, he could’ve sworn he saw the other male responding back with the faintest smile. The joy didn’t last for very long, as the blond was first to look away.

 _“It seems that he’s here with his friends too. What a coincidence. Was this fate?”_ He thought to himself.

Hoseok hesitantly turned away and started eating the dessert he ordered, though he couldn’t help but to throw occasional glances at the blond. His lips curved into a warm smile as he noticed the other male shying away because of the constant eye contact they were sharing, even if it was short. It made Hoseok’s heart melt.

He was pulled out of the moment however as Kihyun clicked his fingers right in his face.

 _“Asshole.”_ He muttered, looking at Kihyun with a glare.

“Stop spacing out! God, you haven’t even finished your food yet. You can finish the rest later now, we need to go.” Kihyun got up and paid for the food, then waited for Hoseok and Changkyun to get up as well. As they made their way towards the exit, Hoseok contemplated on whether he should give one last glance.

_No, he couldn’t. He knew that he wouldn’t ever be able to look away if he didn’t._

 

————————————————

 

 _This all_ _seemed so unreal._

Hyungwon really believed that he was dreaming, there was no way in hell that the guy he saw at the club was here. At first, he would’ve thought that the other was following him around, but it seemed that he was dragged out here by his friends too. They were both in the same boat.

He wanted to look away, but something was stopping him. His eyes remained glued onto the other male for a while now, and everything was fine until he saw the other gazing right back at him. He never had the chance to look at the black haired man properly while they were at the club, but there was no way that he could forget those bright, golden eyes. 

They both have been staring at each other for a while now. Hyungwon was hoping that the other would break eye contact with him to put them both at ease, but then he flashes the most brightest grin that he has ever seen. He couldn’t contain the faint smile that made its way onto his own lips.

 _”So this is what they_ _mean by someone_ _having a smile which is_ _contagious?”_ He thought.

They weren’t speaking, they weren’t even anywhere near each other, but this was nice. They were having a conversation with just eye contact and a few smiles, but it was enough. It was enough to put Hyungwon’s heart at rest.

The other male started teasing again, which resulted in Hyungwon shying away. He covered his face with his hands and let out a small whine. He was sure that his cheeks were just about as red as tomatoes at this point, but he just hoped that Minhyuk wasn’t paying too much attention. Minhyuk often teased Hyungwon whenever he saw this side of him. Maybe a little too much.

A small frown curved onto Hyungwon’s lips as he noticed that the black haired male seemed to be leaving. At first, he didn’t bother turning back, but something was pushing him to do so.

However, as soon as he did, with the hope that maybe he would be looking back — Hyungwon was only met with disappointment.

Just like what happened in the club, he wasn’t looking back. He simply watched as the other walked out of the cafe with his friends, before turning around to face Minhyuk. “Are you done? I want to go home.” Hyungwon mumbled. Picking up on the sudden change of mood, Minhyuk nodded his head and stood up. “Let’s go. Tell me what’s wrong when we get home, okay? I don’t like seeing you like this.” Hyungwon really didn’t want to, but he knew that he couldn’t hide this from Minhyuk forever. He didn’t want to hurt his best friend by making him feel as if he was hiding things either, so he had no choice.

Getting up from his seat, he grabbed Minhyuk’s arm and walked out from the cafe.

 

  
————————————————

 

  
As soon as they got into the apartment, Minhyuk tugged onto Hyungwon’s sleeve and took him into the living room, closing the door behind him after. He then got him to sit on the couch, before sitting next to him and resting his head onto his shoulder. “You seem a lot more... hm... stressed lately? I can’t quite put my finger on it, but the point is that you haven’t been yourself. You’ve been spacing out too, and I see a lot more sad expressions appearing on your face. I didn’t say anything, but I did see what happened at the cafe earlier.”

Hyungwon kept quiet and started fidgeting with his sleeve out of nervousness. He was such an idiot, how was he so convinced that Minhyuk wouldn’t notice anything, the two were childhood friends and have been stuck together like glue for years, it was impossible to hide anything. “I-... I um..”

Before Hyungwon could continue, Minhyuk placed his hand on top of Hyungwon’s and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Don’t force yourself. If you don’t want to tell me, it’s fine.”

Hyungwon bit his lip slightly and returned the squeeze to Minhyuk’s hand, before shaking his head in response. “No, it’s about time I told you. I’ve been making you worry too much and it’s unfair. You shouldn’t be left to feel this way. I need to tell you.”

Minhyuk hummed and nodded, giving his friend a bright smile. “Take your time baby, I know how difficult you find it to express yourself.”

Hyungwon closed his eyes and exhaled heavily, trying to put his words together in his mind so that he wouldn’t end up embarrassing himself. “O-Okay... so... you remember that guy at the club right? The one that kept staring at me?” Minhyuk simply nodded.

“Yeah... there was something... different, about him. I don’t quite know what it is, but ever since then, I-... I can’t stop thinking about him. When we left from the club, he wasn’t looking back at me anymore, and for some reason, that has been affecting me. Whenever I think about it, it hurts. Today... I saw him. He was sitting in the spot I usually sit in whenever I come to the cafe. He caught me staring at him. We weren’t talking or anything, but just the eye contact alone... it felt....nice...? But then he left and didn’t even spare me a single glance.... Minhyuk, please, I need to know. He’s a stranger. Why is he making me feel this way? My thoughts and feelings have been a mess ever since that night, and I hate it. Every day— deep down in my mind, I hope that I get to see him somewhere at least. I don’t even know who he is, what right do I have to feel this way? What am I? A nobody? I haven’t felt this much emotion before in my entire life and it’s freaking me out... I don’t know what to do...”

Minhyuk could’ve sworn he saw tears forming in the younger male’s eyes, and that really pulled at his heartstrings. “Shh... wonnie, baby, it’s okay.” He hummed, gently cupping Hyungwon’s cheeks before brushing the pads of his thumbs over the smooth skin. “I don’t intend to freak you out, so please don’t panic after I tell you this. Feeling these emotions, it’s normal. You’re human, of course you’ll feel things. But these overwhelming emotions... — extreme pain when the person leaves, extreme happiness once you see them again — this only adds up to one thing.”

Minhyuk paused, and Hyungwon tried to control himself from screaming. 

 

 _“What was he going to say? Was this going to be bad?”_ He thought.

 

“Your heart is telling you something, Hyungwon. That guy from the club? He is your soulmate. You’ve found your soulmate.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovely readers! I hope you’re enjoying this so far!  
> Feedback is much appreciated, hmu on twitter @dramarvma


	3. An unexpected turn of events

Hyungwon couldn’t believe what he was hearing. All this time, he was begging that his soulmate never finds him, or that he doesn’t even have a soulmate at all. The thought of making sacrifices — The idea of committing himself to someone else, it all seemed so absurd to him. But he didn’t think that it would make him feel like _this._ Now that explains why he felt so much pain and uneasiness whenever his supposed soulmate wasn’t around. This was all so much to take in.

“But— what if he doesn’t feel the same way? What if it isn’t that deep for him?” Hyungwon asked that without even thinking, and Minhyuk just facepalmed in response.

“Are you actually an idiot? If you both are soulmates, of course he is going to feel it just as intensely as you are! I know this, I see the way he looks at you.” Minhyuk smiled brightly and nudged Hyungwon’s arm. “Also... not to alarm you, but I think I’ve seen him around at school. You should keep an eye out. Ah.. it’s getting late, you should sleep. I know how cranky you get in the mornings.” He moved away from the blond and stood up, walking towards the door.

“Night.” Hyungwon mumbled, and watched as Minhyuk went to his room.

Hyungwon didn’t want to sleep. He would usually be asleep by now but all these thoughts were keeping him awake. He moved off the couch and made his way to his room, but not to sleep. To get ready.

He was going to go to the place where it all started — that night club.

He threw on some black skinny jeans, a white shirt, and a black leather jacket. After putting his shoes on, he exited from the apartment and carefully closed the door, hoping that Minhyuk and Jooheon didn’t hear anything. As much as he loved his friends, he needed to be alone to take in all of this.

Something about the atmosphere around him seemed odd. It’s not like he was taking a dodgy route to the club, but something was off. It was quiet, maybe a bit too quiet. It wasn’t even that late, if it wasn’t busy there would still be a few people walking around, but the place was completely empty. Maybe because it was too cold. He decided not to think about it too much, he shouldn’t let his guard down.

He suddenly heard noises — which sounded like footsteps — coming from behind him. He wouldve looked back to see if he was being followed, but maybe he was just being paranoid.

Before he could turn around to confirm whether he was being followed or not — without even being allowed to register what was going on — he suddenly found himself being pinned against the wall. As he hesitantly lifted his gaze, his own chocolate brown eyes met with a pair of scarlet red ones. His mind was blank and he couldn’t process anything, it was as if he was stuck in some sort of trance. However, he quickly snapped out of it as he was also met with a pair of fangs, which were inching closer and closer to his neck. With all the strength he managed to gather, he pushed the mysterious figure away and ran as fast as he could. He couldn’t go home as he — like an idiot — decided to run towards the direction of the night club. But now that he thought about it, running this way was safer. As he got closer to where the club was, more people were coming into sight and the area was no longer empty. He hesitantly turned around to see if he was being chased, but there was no one there. Was he hallucinating— No, that felt too real. What was that anyway. That person didn’t even look human.

Deciding to brush the thought off for now, he looked up at the night club sign for a moment or so, before walking inside. The place still smelled as horrible as it did when he came here the first time, but he needed to deal with it. He walked over to the counter where the beverages were sold and then sat down, letting out a heavy sigh. The real reason he came here was out of the hope that maybe he would bump into _him_  again. He couldn’t forget how much pain he felt when he walked out of the club that night and the other didn’t return his gaze.

“ _But why_? _Is this what it feels like to have a soulmate_?” He thought. How was he going to put up with all of these feelings for _the rest of his life?_

 

————————————————

 

Hoseok was starving. He had gone out originally to try and get rid of his thirst, but — like an idiot — he decided to go to a place filled with humans — the club. The scent of blood was starting to bother him and he felt that he might just pounce on anyone right now and drain all the blood out from their body. He left the club and decided to walk around for a bit, but his mind was still forcing him to think about quenching his thirst. He wanted to refrain from drinking human blood. For so long, he has been drinking animal blood, and although it was nasty as hell, at least no human was being put in danger. But, when he first saw that boy in the club that one time, as well as admiring his beauty, he wanted to drink from him. He didn’t know why but his scent was different from all the other humans, it was sweet, like vanilla. It was intoxicating.

Luck definitely wasn’t on his side today, because that same aroma was filling the area around him. He thought it was just his mind playing tricks on him, but he paused as he noticed a familiar figure coming into view. It was him.

Hoseok tried everything he could to restrain himself, but the scent was too much. He rushed over to the boy and pinned him against the wall, looking at him with bloodthirsty eyes. Whenever Hoseok got thirsty, or just when he smells blood, his eyes always changed to this bright scarlet hue. It’s often how his friends were able to stop him from losing control. But this time, there was no one, it was just him and that boy. He moved closer and grazed his teeth against the other male’s neck, getting ready to pierce right through the skin. But, he sensed the fear and stopped for a brief moment to look at the boy’s face. Those pretty, big brown eyes that once looked at him in admiration, were now looking at him in fear, and slight disgust. A sharp pain went through his chest, and the boy used that as an opportunity to push him and run away.

Kihyun did always tell him about the signs you’ll see and feel that’ll tell you that you’ve found your soulmate, and this was one of them. He didn’t bother chasing after him though, the pain in his chest was too much. He didn’t know what just happened and why he was suddenly feeling this way, but what he does know is that he does not want to be looked at like that by the boy ever again.

After the sudden pain lessened a bit, the thirst also somehow went away and his eyes were back to normal. Letting out a huge sigh, he made his way back to the club, hoping that he could just drink his ass off and forget all this nonsense.

As he reached the club, Hoseok sat down and straight away ordered a glass of bourbon. He couldn’t get his mind off that boy and the way he looked at him. Of course he’d be terrified, but why the hell was it affecting him this much? Back in the day, Hoseok would drink from humans and wouldn’t even hesitate. They could scream, they could have the most terrified expression on their faces, it wouldn’t even affect him one bit. So, why with this one person is he feeling this way — What makes him so special, he thought.

Hoseok looked up for a moment just to take a glance at the crowd, but upon catching a familiar figure walking into the club; he froze. No, why the hell was _he_ here— As if his day couldn’t get any worse.

Though, as soon as the boy caught his gaze, he had the faintest smile on his face. That would mean that he had no idea that Hoseok was the one who bit him then, and it should stay that way.

The blond made his way over to where Hoseok was and sat beside him, but he didn’t really say anything. It looked as if he did want to try and make a conversation, but the words refused to come out of his mouth. Letting out an amused chuckle, Hoseok decided to take the initiative. “Hey there, pretty boy.”

The other male jumped a little at that, and looked at Hoseok with a shy smile curving onto his lips. “Uh... hey...” He mumbled in response, before lowering his gaze slightly. “I-... uhm... actually came here hoping that I’d see you again.” That was blunt.

“Oh really? What made you so sure that you’d find me here?” Hoseok said with a grin.

The blond paused for a moment at Hoseok’s response. He had no idea himself. “..I don’t know.. This was the place we first saw each other. So... I guess.. It just felt right to come here.” After saying that, he called the bartender over and got a vodka shot.

Hoseok glanced at him and raised his brow slightly at his choice of beverage. Not that he disliked vodka, it was just quite strong. “You sure you can handle that?” He teased.

The other male simply scoffed and took the shot, before glaring daggers at Hoseok. “Don’t underestimate me.”

“Woah, alright then feisty. I didn’t say anything, I just wanted to make sure that you could handle it.” Hoseok muttered, before bringing his glass to his lips. He eyed the blond as he kept ordering shots, and he couldn’t fight back the amused expression that was creeping up onto his face again. It seemed that he took his words as some sort of challenge. How cute. After a while, he noticed the other male getting a little tipsy, and he immediately pushed the shot cups away. “That’s enough goldilocks, you’ll pass out otherwise.” But it seemed that it was too late anyway, the other male looked quite out of it. Letting out a heavy sigh, Hoseok stood up and carried the blond, making his way out of the club. He couldn’t let him go home like this.

 

_————————————————_

 

Hyungwon was woken up by the sunlight peaking through the small gap between the curtains. He sat up and let out a small groan as he felt a sharp, pulsating pain in his head. He rubbed his eyes sleepily and took a glance his surroundings. That’s when his eyes widened in realisation. This wasn’t his house.

He shot up from the bed — but instantly regretted it as the pain in his head only got worse. His stomach was acting funny too, and before he could even process anything, he found himself heading straight to the bathroom to throw up. He flushed the toilet and stood up, before moving over to the sink to wash his face and rinse his mouth. But he paused as he suddenly heard footsteps coming up the stairs. He still didn’t know where the hell he was and how on earth he got here.

Hyungwon lifted his gaze and his eyes met with a pair of golden ones. They were sparkling under the sunlight.

“Ah! You’re awake. Did you sleep well? Wait- what kind of question is that- I’m sorry, you must be in pain from the hangover. Are you okay?” Hoseok rambled.

Rather than paying attention to what the other male was saying, some more realisation hit him. This person — it’s the one he met at the club that one time — it was his soulmate. Well- his ‘supposed soulmate’ anyway. He was at his house. But how.

“Uhm... I’m sorry to just avoid all of your questions like this but... I’m a bit lost and confused at the moment, would you mind telling me what happened and how I ended up here?” Hyungwon mumbled.

The frown on the other male’s face got him to worry if maybe he said something wrong. “Right. I’m so sorry, you must’ve been panicking. So... long story cut short, you met me at the club and got drunk. I couldn’t allow you to go home in that state so... I brought you here. Don’t worry, we didn’t do anything dodgy, I slept on the couch while you were on my bed.” His lips formed a small, soft smile. “Ah.. I should probably introduce myself. I’m Hoseok.”

Hyungwon hummed and gave a short nod of his head. “I’m Hyungwon. Thank you for taking care of me.” A faint smile appeared on his face. Just as Hyungwon was about to walk out from the bathroom, he felt himself losing his balance and was about to fall, but luckily — Hoseok caught him just in time.

“Hey, you need to get back to bed. You aren’t leaving until you feel better.” Before Hyungwon could even protest in response, Hoseok was already leading him back to the bed. He carefully laid him down and put a glass of water on the side for him.

“You don’t need to do this... I’ll be fine...” Hyungwon muttered, but the roughness of his voice and just the way he looked said the complete opposite. His head was killing him, his body was aching, his eyes were slightly red, his voice sounded like sandpaper, maybe his nose was blocked too, he was just a mess overall. He really was in no condition to do anything at all, but he didn’t want to be a burden on Hoseok. The person who was very much possibly his soulmate.

“I do. If I had known sooner that you’re a lightweight, I would have stopped you from drinking beforehand. Please don’t think that you’re being a burden to me either, because you’re not. It was my choice to bring you home, and it is my choice now to keep you here and look after you until you’re well enough to go home alone.”

Hyungwon was okay with everything but the last part. Remembering the strange encounter he had with that strange mystical being last night, he didn’t really want to go anywhere alone anymore. “I-... If I am well enough to go... c-could you take me home? I don’t want to go by myself...”

Hoseok felt like an idiot for not considering that Hyungwon may be feeling reluctant to go anywhere alone after what happened before. He’d have to stay, despite him actually being the very thing that Hyungwon fears. “Of course. If that’s what you want.” Hyungwon nodded and looked up at Hoseok, smiling very faintly.

“Hm... if you do feel a little better later on, maybe we could go out somewhere? Yes, you’re unwell, but I don’t see why you should be locked up inside. What do you think?” The blond simply hummed and gave a small nod of his head, but that was enough of a response for Hoseok. “Alright. Well, rest for now, you need it. I’ll be downstairs, scream at me if you need me.” He grinned, before getting up and making his way out of his bedroom.

Meanwhile, Hyungwon was holding back the urge to pull him back and make him stay. It would be weird of him to be displaying sudden clinginess and affection when Hoseok most likely isn’t even aware about the possibility of them two being soulmates. As hard as it was, it would be better for him to wait.

A few hours had gone by, and Hyungwon was getting bored. It wasn’t as if he could do anything about it though, his condition wasn’t getting any better. Letting out a soft sigh, Hyungwon decided to kill time by sleeping. He hoped that it would help him feel a little better too.

...

He was wrong.

No matter how many times he tried, he just couldn’t sleep. He knew that he would probably get scolded, but he got out of bed anyway, making his way downstairs. Hoseok was sitting on the couch, with a laptop placed on his lap.

The blond walked over to the other male from behind as quietly as he could — but as if he had eyes behind his head — he said “Better already?”

Hyungwon jumped a little and froze in his spot. Letting out a soft chuckle, Hoseok patted the space beside him. “Come.” Hyungwon looked a bit confused, but he nodded his head and sat beside Hoseok on the couch. It felt strange sitting here like this, knowing that Hoseok is his soulmate. What was he supposed to say, what was he supposed to do, he just decided to sit there in silence.

Hoseok seemed to notice how uneasy Hyungwon looked and he frowned. “Are you okay?” Hyungwon quickly nodded and faked a smile just to reassure Hoseok that he was fine. “Hm... if you say so. Hey, I wanted to ask you something. Do you go to that university in Westminster?”

Hyungwon nodded his head again, and the confused expression returned to his face. “Yeah... Why?”

“No wonder you looked so familiar... I saw you in the club that time, but I also saw someone at uni after that who looked like you. So it was you after all. It’s unfortunate that we only spoke properly under such strange circumstances, but I’m glad. I didn’t really think I’d have the guts to approach you myself.” Hoseok looked so shy while confessing all this, and Hyungwon found that so endearing.

“...I don’t think I would have the courage to approach you myself either. It’s a bit embarrassing that you had to see me drunk like that... I’ll be more careful next time. Thank you for taking care of me. Most people probably would have taken advantage of me in that situation...” Hyungwon mumbled.

Hoseok frowned again and he shook his head. “I would never do that to you. Whenever I see you... I just have this sudden feeling of wanting to protect you. I have no idea why.”

“Should I be glad about that...? I mean... I wouldn’t mind being protected by you...” Hyungwon lifted his gaze to look at Hoseok, only to see him looking back at him.

Hoseok raised his hand and cupped Hyungwon’s cheek, before using the pad of his thumb to caress the smooth skin. “How are you this beautiful? I haven’t ever met anyone who matches your level of beauty.”

Hyungwon closed his eyes and leaned into the touch, still looking straight at Hoseok as he done so. “I’m... okay, I guess. Don’t think so highly of me...”

Hoseok shook his head and leaned a little closer. “When I first saw you... I honestly thought I was seeing a god or something. I’m not joking, your beauty is on a whole other level. My favourites are your big, beautiful eyes... and your plump, pretty lips...” Hoseok lowered his thumb from Hyungwon’s cheek and traced it along his lower lip. They both just sat there and stared at each other, and without even realising, their faces got closer, and closer and...

_Riiiiing._

Hyungwon flinched and quickly averted his gaze to Hoseok’s phone. “A-Aren’t you going to get that?”

Hoseok shook his head and moved away, not hesitating to decline the call. “I’m sorry, this must be awkward now.”

Hyungwon shook his head and started fidgeting with the end of his sleeve — just something he does out of anxiousness. “With anyone else I probably would be. But with you... it feels natural.. I don’t know why...”

 

————————————————

 

Hoseok was very surprised after hearing those words. All they had done before this was stare at each other and they only officially started talking today, yet the other was already coming out with stuff like this. If Hoseok’s phone hadn’t started ringing either, they would have kissed... this was all making no sense whatsoever. But, only one thing came to mind: soulmate.

 _“Was this the person he was looking for? For all these years? His soulmate....? It made sense somehow.”_ He thought.

Ever since Hoseok first laid eyes on the beautiful blond, he just couldn’t stop thinking about him, no matter how hard he tried. He just wanted to see him again, as soon as possible. Who would have thought that the other would come to find him instead?

“Hey, tell me, what is it that you feel for me exactly?” The question was very direct, but Hoseok needed to know. From what he’s heard and seen, if a person is your soulmate, you’ll feel so drawn towards them without even knowing why. You wouldn’t even need to know them beforehand, it would already feel as if you’ve known each other for years. He also knows that when you’re away from them, you feel a lot of pain. That explains why that has been happening to him for all these years, until now. Until he first saw the blond. That’s when the pain all stopped. He has waited for so many years for his soulmate to arrive, but they never did. He would have given up by now, but for some reason he still had hope. He wouldn’t ever feel the need to kiss some random stranger, but that’s almost what happened today. Now that he thought about it properly like this... maybe this person is his soulmate after all.

“I... I don’t know... I just want to be around you. When I’m alone, I can’t stop thinking about you... and I keep having this strong urge to see you. I guess that’s what led me to the club — to the place where we first saw each other. I somehow knew you’d be there... and you were. I-Is this creeping you out?” The blond hesitantly lifted his gaze and looked up at Hoseok, eagerly waiting for a response.

“No, you aren’t creeping me out at all. In fact, I’ve been feeling the exact same way ever since I saw you. Are you aware of the possibility of us being... you know... soulmates...?” The other simply nodded his head in response. “The thought of you being with someone else makes my blood boil. I guess that confirms it then... But, I have a suggestion. Since we only just started speaking today, I think we should take time to get to know each other. I mean, I don’t know much about you...”

The blond nodded his head once more and hummed softly, before loosening his grip onto his sleeve. Hoseok seemed a bit relieved at that. It meant that he was feeling a little less anxious. The last thing he wanted was to make his soulmate feel uncomfortable or under pressure. “Mhm... you have a point. So, let’s start from zero then. I was born in Gwangju, but I moved to London later on to study at Westminster university. I’m not someone who enjoys going out too much, I would rather stay in bed and sleep all day.”

Hoseok chuckled lightly at Hyungwon’s little introduction, before responding. “Nice to meet you, sleepy head. I also happen to attend Westminster university. In terms of what I like to do, I’m not too fussy. Stay home and watch movies? Go out and walk around the city? I’m fine with either.”

Hyungwon hummed and nodded his head. It was silent for a while and neither of them knew what to say next...

“I have classes today which start at around 2 hours or so. I might get ready in a bit so that I have enough time to get there. You aren’t in the condition to leave, you could throw up any minute from the hangover. Are you okay with staying at home alone? Or would you like me to drop you off to your house?” Hoseok didn’t want Hyungwon to feel as if he was just finding an excuse to leave. He really did have classes and as much as he didn’t want to leave his soulmate alone, he couldn’t afford to miss anything.

“No...I want to stay here. Your house is nice. It already feels like home.” Hyungwon’s sudden honesty caught Hoseok off guard, but it also caused a slight warm feeling in his heart. He was happy.

“Okay, if you insist. Let me know if you need anything, okay? I’ll come back straight away.” Hyungwon nodded his head and smiled at Hoseok faintly, before leaning against his shoulder.

“Don’t overwork yourself.” Hyungwon mumbled, before moving away and getting off the couch.

Hoseok watched as the blond sluggishly made his way up the stairs, going back to the bedroom. He really wanted to pull a sickie just so he could stay with his soulmate, but he knew that he’d have to catch up on the class notes later, and he’d rather not do that. He quickly got ready and gathered all the things he needed, he also reminded Hyungwon to call him if he needed anything before leaving the house.

Hoseok was already feeling sad. He didn’t understand why Hyungwon insisted on staying there, knowing that he’d be all alone until Hoseok got back. Well, at least he’d be the first person he’ll see as soon as he gets home... he wasn’t by himself anymore. After all these years, Hoseok finally had someone by his side. He finally found his soulmate.

It was very difficult for him to focus in class and it was getting irritating. As usual, Hyungwon decided to visit his thoughts and now he wouldn’t get out. He got scolded by the teacher a few times for spacing out, so it seemed that he would have to ask either Kihyun or Changkyun if he could borrow their notes anyway. Speaking of the devils, only Changkyun seemed to be here.

Once the bell rang, Hoseok ran out the classroom after Changkyun. “Hey, kyun, where’s Kihyun?”

Changkyun turned around and looked at Hoseok with a confused expression. “Didn’t he tell you? His thirst has been a bit overwhelming recently, so he’s trying to stay away. If he comes here, it’ll just be a huge corpse party. You know he wouldn’t hesitate to suck all these humans dry—... that sounds wrong but you know what I mean. He said that he might crash at yours for a bit, and he might take some of your pills just to see if they work.”

It was all fine until Changkyun mentioned the overwhelming thirst and Kihyun coming over to Hoseok’s. How could he forget about that? And... he left Hyungwon home alone.... he put his soulmate’s life in danger because of his carelessness...

 

————————————————

 

It had only been a few minutes since Hoseok left, but Hyungwon was already starting to miss him. What could he do, anyway— Although Hoseok did say himself that Hyungwon could call or message him if he needed anything, Hyungwon preferred not to. He didn’t want to become a burden on his soulmate, and he didn’t want to annoy him and disrupt him from studying either. It felt weird being all alone. Usually, in his apartment, Jooheon or Minhyuk would be around, so he’d still have someone to keep him company. The aura of this house was strange too. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but he didn’t want to make assumptions either so he just decided to forget about it for now.

It had come up to about four hours now and the boredom was close enough to just killing Hyungwon completely. However, he heard keys and the door and he suddenly jumped up.

“ _Was Hoseok home? Even if he is, you shouldn’t just jump at him out of nowhere. Don’t make yourself look overly clingy, idiot.”_ He thought to himself.

Hoseok wanted to take things slow and Hyungwon didn’t want to ruin that by accidentally jumping a few steps ahead. He decided to just stay on the bed and wait instead, but it wasn’t Hoseok’s face that he saw when he looked up.

“Who are you?”

As if sensing the fear in Hyungwon’s tone of voice, the other male smirked. “You won’t be alive to find out.”

_What?_

That was when Hyungwon realised. Those glowing crimson eyes... it was just like the eyes he saw of that creature in the alleyway.

Hyungwon didn’t sit around and wait. He shot up and attempted to escape, but he was stopped and pushed back down onto the bed. The other male was a lot smaller than him, yet he had no issue with holding Hyungwon down. _Just what the hell was this thing?_

“Although I do enjoy chasing my prey, I’m really not in the mood to play a game of cat and mouse. So how about you be good and let me do what I need to do, hm? Ah.. it might be difficult like this.”

Hyungwon didn’t respond, he simply looked up at the other with a sharp glare. However, after the mysterious being leaned closer and stared into his eyes, it was as if he lost control of his senses completely. All he could hear was: “You will not scream. You will remain silent and will do exactly as I tell you.”

After that, he simply watched as the other moved away and got off the bed. “Get up.” Hyungwon didn’t want to get up. His body was moving on its own against his will, was he being controlled?

The height difference didn’t seem to be an obstruction for the other male, he just seemed to find it amusing. “So you’re Hoseok’s source of blood during the day? He did good, you smell amazing, and you’re pretty too...”

Before Hyungwon could even properly process what was going on, he suddenly felt a sharp pain coming from his neck, and then it was just wet. The stranger was drinking his blood. From his neck. Hyungwon couldn’t move, and his voice was stuck in his throat. He couldn’t scream, he couldn’t cry for help, all he could do was just stand there and let it happen. After a while, he started feeling a bit drowsy. He thought that he had heard Hoseok’s voice too. Maybe he was just imagining things — however, as soon as he looked up, Hoseok was standing there. Eyes wide open and filled with both anger and fear. His neck still felt wet, but it seemed as if the sharp things were no longer there. After that, everything went blank. The last thing he heard was Hoseok’s shouting.

 

***********

 

After some time, Hyungwon’s eyes finally opened. The pain in his neck wasn’t as intense as before, but there was still a dull ache that he felt. As he sat up, he let out a soft groan at the throbbing feeling in his head. Before he could say anything, he was pushed back down and the fear came crawling back to him.

 

_Was that creature still here...?_

 

But, to his relief, it was just Hoseok. The other male gave a warm smile, before pulling Hyungwon into his arms. “Are you okay...? You were knocked out for the whole day. I was starting to get a bit worried... you aren’t in too much pain, are you? I—“ Before Hoseok could say anything more, he was silenced by his soulmates finger being placed onto his lips.

“I’m okay, I promise. I won’t lie to you — I feel a bit lightheaded, the side of my neck that was bitten has gone numb, and my whole body aches. But... I’m okay. I can tolerate it.” As some form of reassurance, Hyungwon nuzzled against Hoseok and placed a small kiss near the corner of his lips. “I’m fine, please believe me.”

That was what he said, but as soon as he saw Kihyun entering the room, he immediately clinged onto Hoseok and hid behind him. “W-What is he doing here...?”

Instead of responding, Hoseok looked to Kihyun and nodded his head. The grey-haired male leaned closer to Hyungwon and stared right into his eyes. “You will not remember any of this. You went outside out of boredom and ventured off into the forests. The wound on your neck is from an animal attack. Hoseok found you and took you back home.” After that, he stepped back and turned to Hoseok with a slight frown on his face.

Hyungwon’s eyes slowly opened, and he looked around him with a confused expression, before placing his hand on the bite marks which were on his neck. “Hoseok...?” The blond looked up at his soulmate for an explanation, but he didn’t receive anything.

Hoseok simply pulled Hyungwon into his embrace again, letting out another sigh. “I’m sorry, I’m just a bit out of it right now. Would you like me to take you back home...? It’s late, and—“

“No. I want to stay with you. Please. I’ll text Minhyuk and Jooheon, they’ll understand.” Hyungwon didn’t want to come across as being too clingy, but he felt safe with Hoseok. He was worried that something else might happen to him if he went out again. However, judging by the expression on the other male’s face, he clearly wasn’t comfortable with the idea. Hyungwon wasn’t going to force him. “Nevermind, I’ll leave. I’m sorry.” The blond stood up and Hoseok grabbed his arm in an attempt to stop him, but it was immediately shaken out from his grip. “Why are you trying to stop me now? If you wanted me to stay, you would’ve said so. Just let me leave.” Hyungwon pulled his hoodie over his head and left Hoseok’s house, completely ignoring his attempts to stop him.

He would look like an idiot if he went back now, but then again, how would he even explain all of this to Minhyuk — He really didn’t want to deal with any of that right now. Letting out a heavy sigh, Hyungwon hesitantly turned around and went back to Hoseok’s house. He was about to knock on the door, but he heard voices inside. It wasn’t good to be nosy, but, he couldn’t help but to overhear. He pressed his ear against the door and bit his lip.

“Do you really want to lie to him like this?”

 

_What...?_

 

“Well I wouldn’t even have to lie to him if it wasn’t for your inability to hold back your thirst. He’s seen it now and even though he didn’t ask anything right at this moment, he will do at some point. I... I’ve found my soulmate after all these years. I don’t want to end up losing him because he’s afraid of what I am... you saw the way he looked at you as soon as you came in. I wouldn’t be able to handle it if he looked at me like that.”

 

_This doesn’t make sense..._

 

“What? So I’m the bad guy now?”

“You did this to yourself, Ki. Don’t start playing the victim.”

Before Hyungwon could hear any further, the door was suddenly opened and he jumped back immediately. Hoseok and the other male shared a worried glance at each other, before looking at Hyungwon.

“Hyungwon, I—“

“...W-What are you...?”


	4. White love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “White daffodils are said to represent rebirth and also symbolise friendship and new beginnings.”

Kihyun was probably contemplating on whether he should kill Hyungwon or not — Hoseok knew this. Kihyun always got rid of traces before they relocate, including any humans who may have known about who they really are. He never hesitated either. The shorter vampire stepped forward, and Hoseok immediately moved his arm to stop him, but then he heard a noise and immediately turned around, only to see Hyungwon knocked out on the floor. Changkyun was standing behind him with a metal bar in his hand.

“Was this human bothering you two...?”

Hoseok couldn’t be angry at him. Changkyun is his friend and what he did was only out of concern, but he couldn’t ignore the urge to punch him across the face. “Uhm... we’ll talk inside. I would drop the human off home first, but I don’t know where it is...” He frowned.

“Leave him at the club, Hoseok. That way, he’ll think this was all a dream right? He’ll assume he got wasted. Because you won’t be there with him either, he’ll definitely think that he was dreaming.” Kihyun suggested.

The whole point of bringing Hyungwon to his house that night was to prevent anyone from taking advantage of him at the club. He didn’t want to agree, but he knew deep down that Kihyun was right. It was hurting him already, and he’d have to act as if none of this happened, but he didn’t have a choice at this point. Hyungwon’s life was put in danger today, and his identity was almost exposed too. This is for the best.

Hoseok nodded his head in response and moved forward, gently picking up Hyungwon’s unconscious form. “I’ll be back soon, just go inside and I’ll explain. Kihyun, you keep your mouth shut.” He looked at the shorter vampire with a glare, before taking off.

Once Hoseok arrived at the club, he stepped inside and pushed past the people, before leaving Hyungwon in the same place where they sat together before. He frowned and moved his hand forward, carefully brushing the blond’s hair away from his face. He pressed a small kiss onto his forehead and then left. If he had stayed any longer just to stare at him, it would’ve hurt more.

He made his way back to his house and then went inside, going over to where Changkyun and Kihyun were. They both clearly looked worried, and he just let out a heavy sigh. “Get comfortable, this’ll take a while.”

Kihyun and Changkyun sat on the couch, and Hoseok sat on the one opposite them. “That human... I’ve had my eye on him the moment I first saw him in that club. We happened to see each other again in the cafe, so that’s the one I was staring at. We met again at the same club but this time, he came to find me. He drank too much and I brought him home because I didn’t want to leave him there. I took care of him while he was here, but of course I had to leave in the afternoon... and I forgot that Kihyun was going to come over for some blood bags... so I basically left him all alone, and he was defenceless. When I came back all I saw was Kihyun feasting on him. When he woke up, Kihyun tried erasing his memories, but it didn’t really take full effect... me and him argued because he wanted to stay and I was against it. He left but then came back apparently...? Anyway, me and Kihyun argued and he heard. All of it. When I opened the door he looked terrified and immediately asked ‘what are you’... so yeah....”

Changkyun kept quiet for a moment. It was a lot to register, but he had to ask one thing. “Hoseok hyung... you know we can’t get too involved with humans, they’re all just trouble. Why did you go through the effort to bring him back in the first place? This all could have been avoided...”

Hoseok sighed again, brushing his hair back with his hand. “Me and him... we had a connection, Changkyun. We got to know each other better and I just fell in love with him more...”

“W-Wait... don’t tell me....”

“That human is Hoseok’s soulmate. You know he doesn’t give two shits about any other humans— well, not anymore anyway.” Kihyun muttered.

“Oh my god... a human and a vampire? This is unheard of. It’s usually always vampires with vampires and humans with humans...” Changkyun mumbled.

Hoseok sat back and folded his arms over his chest. “Well, it is the way it is. I’d rather him not be with a monster like me. He’s better off without me, vampires and humans are ever a good combination. You know what happens.”

It was Kihyun’s turn to frown. “You’ve been looking for your soulmate for years... just because he’s a human, it doesn’t mean it’s over.”

Hoseok made a face and balled his hands into fists. “He’s a human. A mortal. He’ll die one day. He’s better off being with someone who he can die with. I’m fine like this.” Not giving the two vampires a chance to respond, Hoseok stood up and stormed off to his room, closing the door with a loud slam.

“I think this is our cue to leave.” Changkyun mumbled, taking Kihyun’s hand before leaving from the older vampire’s apartment.

Hoseok sat on his bed, holding his head in his hands. How did it come to this. It was easier to blame Kihyun, but he knew that wasn’t the truth. It all started from that human. If he didn’t come to the club again in the first place and get drunk, Hoseok wouldn’t have had to bring him home and then leave him there unsupervised. He wouldn’t have to worry about his identity being exposed either. Hyungwon probably wouldn’t want anything more to do with him if he did happen to remember, and it was better off that way. He’ll probably have to act like a bit of an ass just to push him away far enough. It’ll hurt, a lot, but it was for the best. This relationship isn’t going to work out and this whole situation just proved it, but even after all that, he didn’t have it in him to hate Hyungwon.

Kihyun and Changkyun went off to the park, and then sat on a nearby bench. Changkyun still had a firm grip onto Kihyun’s hand, giving it a gentle squeeze before intertwining their fingers. “Are you okay...?” He asked, noticing Kihyun’s sudden drop of mood.

The older vampire sighed and shook his head. “I feel like it’s my fault. Hoseok hyung is probably screwing at me right now...”

Changkyun frowned and leaned his head against Kihyun’s shoulder. “You know he wouldn’t do that. Right now, he’s either blaming himself or choosing to put everything onto the human. Hoseok hyung will never hate us unless we really had the intention of stabbing him in the back, you know that... please don’t be sad. It hurts me.”

Kihyun’s lips curved into a faint smile and he lifted Changkyun’s chin up, before pressing a small kiss onto his lips. “Thank you, baby.”

Changkyun purred in response and leaned into the kiss, smiling against Kihyun’s lips. “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

————————————————

 

Hyungwon woke up with a huge headache. He groaned and sat up, only to be met by a worried Jooheon and an angry Minhyuk. _What happened...?_

“Where the fuck were you? We haven’t seen you since yesterday night. You didn’t even say that you were going out and where you were going to...” Minhyuk said angrily.

“Where is he...” Hyungwon completely disregarded the other, his mind was just screaming ‘Hoseok’.

“Where is who? Don’t tell me you got wasted and then fucked someone—“

Jooheon placed his hand onto Minhyuk’s shoulder. “I think we need to give him some space. You aren’t his parent, he shouldn’t have to justify himself to you.”

Minhyuk made a face but then sighed. “Whatever.” He muttered, before walking away.

Hyungwon frowned and looked up at Jooheon. “You didn’t have to...”

The younger male just smiled. “I know he can get a bit... suffocating at times, especially when he starts interrogating you like this. You just got back, I don’t want you to feel overwhelmed. Do you want me to call Hyunwoo hyung...? I know you like talking to him.” Hyungwon simply nodded in response and Jooheon pulled his phone out, dialling the number of their oldest friend. He immediately picked up.

“Jooheon? Is everything okay?”

“Hyung, don’t worry everything is fine. Hyungwon hyung wants you to come over.”

“Ah... okay then, I’ll be right there.” He hung up.

“He’s coming, just stay here okay? I’ll make sure Minhyuk hyung doesn’t bother you...” Jooheon got up and left the room. Hyungwon sat there and stared at the floor, beginning to space out. He had to retrace his steps.

Suddenly, images started flashing in his mind. He went to the club first to meet that person. On the way, some mysterious creature approached him. All he remembers after that is he got drunk, he somehow ended up in another person’s apartment, and then he got bitten by someone...

“Hyungw—”

“He’s a vampire...!”

Hyunwoo paused and stared at Hyungwon with a worried expression. “...Well, at least now I know why Jooheon needed me here so urgently... is everything okay...?” Hyunwoo asked, taking a seat beside Hyungwon. There was no response.

Hyunwoo lightly shook the younger, and the expression on his face distorted. “Hyungwon...”

The blond buried his face in his palms and stayed like that for a moment or so, before looking up at the older. “Hyung... I’m so lost right now... I—”

Hyunwoo patted Hyungwon’s back and gave him a reassuring smile. “I assume you wanted to talk to me about something that you probably can’t discuss with Minhyuk, right? Take your time, there’s no rush.”

Hyungwon exhaled softly, taking a moment to collect his thoughts before speaking. “Y-You know how I never wanted my soulmate to find me... yeah... I think I found him... and I feel as if fragments of my memory from that moment are missing.”

Hyunwoo hummed. “You yelled vampire... why?” Hyungwon bit his lip and averted his gaze. “I-I remember... someone bit me.... I thought it was just my imagination, but a certain part of my neck hurts and when I checked for marks... there was one there.”

“Oh my god.... so what are you saying? Is he the one who bit you?”

“No... when the image came in my mind, it didn’t look like him. But... I remember overhearing something... he’s a vampire... he probably brought me back so that I wouldn’t cause trouble. It all makes sense.” Hyungwon frowned, before looking up at Hyunwoo again. “Hyung... I don’t like this... it hurts...”

Hyunwoo sighed and placed his hand onto Hyungwon’s chest. “I know. But this isn’t healthy, you both need to get together and talk things through....” Hyungwon really wished Hyunwoo was his soulmate instead. He’s so thoughtful, understanding, and straightforward... he wouldn’t have had any issues with him at all. Why did his soulmate have to be a vampire of all things?

“I can’t... I think he hates me now. I poked my nose where it wasn’t supposed to be, I wouldn’t be surprised if he didn’t want anything to do with me anymore.”

Hyunwoo sighed in response and ruffled Hyungwon’s hair in a playful manner. “Hey, don’t be so negative. You won’t know that unless you try and talk to him. I guess you probably don’t know the way to where he lives... is there another place...?”

Hyungwon hummed to himself in thought, before giving a nod of his head. “He attends the same university as me... I might see him there. I don’t want to go anywhere right now though... I’m tired.”

Hyunwoo chuckled lightly and got up. “Alright, I’ll let you sleep then. Remember what I said, okay? You won’t know what he’s feeling until you two talk. Be persistent, if he’s really your soulmate, giving up isn’t an option. If the distance between you two increases, you’ll only feel more pain. I don’t want that to happen.”

Hyungwon smiled faintly and hummed in response, but a thought suddenly came to mind and he quickly got up to stop Hyunwoo from leaving. “Hyung... is it possible for your soulmate not to love you..?”

Hyunwoo nodded. “Yes. It’s happened before. You can’t force two people to love each other... well, that’s what I believe anyway. Minhyuk may have told you that it’s impossible, but he’s just hiding the truth from you. Some people cheat on their soulmates because of this, so that’s why I think it’s better to be straightforward right from the start. But... there’s something else I need to tell you about since we’re on this topic...”

Hyungwon looked up at Hyunwoo with a confused expression. “What is it...?”

“Hyungwon, have you heard about the hanahaki disease? I’m going to assume that Minhyuk kept quiet about it because he didnt want to scare you... but now that you think you’ve found your soulmate, I think it’s time for you to know.”

Hyunwoo looked so serious... Hyungwon was worried. “I’ve heard the name, but I didn’t do any further research and no one told me about it. Why?”

“Its a disease you get when you start to come under the belief that your love is one-sided. The affected person throws up and coughs out flower petals... it may not sound like anything too bad, but it’s serious. The symptoms only get worse and worse, and if you don’t get a surgery... you’ll die. The only ways there are to cure it is to make the other person fall in love with you or get surgery.”

Hyungwon stood there in silence, his eyes widening. “Why are you telling me this...? Are you worried that it’ll happen to me...?”

Hyunwoo nodded. “Mhm. With the way your situation is going... the lack of communication... I’m afraid it’ll happen to you. Just promise me that this will all get fixed... okay...?”

Hyungwon frowned and nodded his head, before pulling the older male into his embrace. “I promise. It won’t ever happen to me, so please don’t worry.” He moved back and allowed Hyunwoo to leave.

After that, he pulled his phone out and decided to do some further research.

_Hanahaki disease ; a disease in which the person affected coughs up flower petals. It occurs when the victim suffers from one-sided love. It ends when the person they love returns their feelings — but friendship isn’t enough. It must be romantic feelings. The symptoms of the disease consist of strong pains due to flowers blooming in the victim’s heart and lungs, and then coughing — and then later on — throwing them up. The disease can be cured by having a surgical removal of the petals, however — once the infection disappears, so do the feelings._

Hyungwon bit his lip and closed the tab, throwing his phone to the side. This was scary. But how was he supposed to fix things without knowing if Hoseok even wanted to...

 

————————————————

 

Hoseok was awake quite early. It was 7am and he was out on a quick jog — something he usually did to help him relieve stress, or to just clear out his mind. He was thinking a lot about what had happened, but mainly about the fact that Kihyun’s abilities had no affect on Hyungwon whatsoever. He wasn’t aware that there were any humans who could resist vampire abilities, maybe they have developed over the years without him realising. Hoseok didn’t have a reason to use his abilities, it was easier back then when humans minded their own business and paid no attention to them. But now, humans have become too curious and always stick their noses into other people’s business. It has only become more and more difficult for himself — as well as many other vampires — to keep their identities a secret.

Usually he’d just jog around the block but he found himself making his way into the park for some reason. However, his trip was cut short as he saw a familiar figure walking along the footpath. It was Hyungwon.

He couldn’t let himself be seen. He made his way out from the park and ran home, hoping that Hyungwon wasn’t following him. He looked behind him a few times and no one seemed to be there. Letting out a small sigh of relief, he walked into his apartment and looked at the time. He had to leave soon.

The vampire sighed and went to his room, quickly getting ready and grabbing something to eat (actual food this time) before leaving again. He rushed to the train station and continuously glanced at his watch, hoping that the time would go slower so he wouldn’t get late. He looked up for a second, only to see Hyungwon again. As soon as his train came, he quickly jumped on and hid near the corner, hoping that the blonde wouldn’t see. Hoseok really hated doing the whole avoiding business, it was hurting him a lot, but it was better this way. He wasn’t good for Hyungwon and their relationship wouldn’t work out. Of course, anyone could say that he was just assuming without actually giving it a try, but things between humans and vampires never went well, he has seen it happen and that was enough. As soon as the train reached his stop, he quickly got off and made his way to the university building.

As soon as he was inside, he was met by Kihyun and Changkyun. “Hyung!”

Changkyun smiled faintly, and Hoseok just gave a small nod of his head. “I’m gonna head to class now. You both don’t have your first lecture until 11 right? Promise me you’ll behave yourselves.” He said that, glancing at Kihyun.

“We’ll be fine, don’t worry! Just go before you get late.” Not giving the older vampire a chance to respond, Changkyun tugged onto Kihyun’s sleeve and dragged him away.

Hoseok sighed and walked through the corridor towards his classroom, but he was stopped.

By Hyungwon.

“Hoseok.”

“...”

“We need to talk.”

“...”

“Please...”

“There’s nothing to talk about.” Hoseok muttered, attempting to go around, but Hyungwon just kept blocking him.

“Yes there is. We can’t keep avoiding each other like thi—”

“I said, there’s nothing to talk about. I don’t want to be around you Hyungwon, just l-leave me alone. Don’t come to me again. I don’t feel anything for you.” Not giving the blond a chance to respond, Hoseok just pushed past him and walked into the classroom.

There was a burning ache in his chest. He didn’t see Hyungwon’s face when he said that, but it was probably better if he didn’t. If he did, he wouldn’t be able to take it. When he walked away, he could’ve sworn he heard a sob, but he chose to ignore it all for now, he couldn’t keep thinking about Hyungwon anymore.

...That was easier said than done.

Throughout the whole lecture, Hoseok just kept spacing out. He got told off a couple of times, but that didn’t stop his mind from trailing off elsewhere. Once the lecture was over, he got up and quickly left the classroom, not giving the teacher a chance to call him up and tell him off again. Once he pulled his phone out, he was spammed with messages and missed calls from Kihyun. He would’ve left it until he saw him later on so they could talk, but Kihyun never spams him like this. It must’ve been important. He decided to call him.

“...Kihyun...?”

“Hyung... you need to see this...”

“What’s wrong...?”

“It... isn’t something I can explain... you need to see for yourself...”

“Kihyun please I don’t have ti—”

“It’s Hyungwon.”

“Where are you?”

“Third floor, outside of the psychology lecture theatre.”

Ending the call, Hoseok immediately ran over to the said location. As he got there, he made eye contact with Kihyun, who was signalling for him to be quiet and come over. Hoseok tiptoed over to the shorter vampire and stood behind him, looking over at whatever he was gesturing to. All he could see was Hyungwon kneeling on the ground, coughing.

“...Why did you bring me here to see this?” Hoseok muttered with clear annoyance in his tone of voice.

Kihyun sighed and kept his finger pointing in the same direction. “Look at what he’s coughing up.”

Hoseok took another glance, before looking back at Kihyun. “I can’t see anything. He’s just coughing. I can’t believe this was urgent.”

“Hoseok.... it’s been 20 minutes.... he hasn’t stopped coughing... aren’t you seeing what I’m seeing?”

Before Hoseok could respond, Hyungwon finally stopped coughing. He slowly got up and cleared his throat as he left the room.

Kihyun waited for the rest of the class to be dismissed before he dragged Hoseok over to where Hyungwon was coughing, and then pointed to the ground. Hoseok stared at the shorter vampire and deadpanned. “Flowers. Maybe someone had something on their shoe.”

Kihyun groaned and massaged his temples, beginning to get annoyed with Hoseok’s ignorance. “It’s winter, Hoseok. Why would there be flowers anywhere? This is also a psychology lecture theatre, meaning that it couldn’t have been for a performance either. Hyungwon was coughing up these flower petals. For 20 whole minutes. Look, the petals are everywhere... you can even see the blood.”

Hoseok kept quiet and leaned down, holding the petals in his hand. “These are white daffodil petals...” He mumbled, looking up at Kihyun. Kihyun looked at Hoseok with a smile, but it seemed sad.

“White daffodils are said to represent rebirth and also symbolise friendship and new beginnings.” Kihyun stated.

“...What is the correlation...?” Hoseok looked at him with a confused expression.

“This is a sign of the hanahaki disease developing. Do you know what that is?” Kihyun asked.

“I’ve heard of it. It develops under the belief that your love is one-sided... but I’ve always thought that it was fake...” Hoseok mumbled, lowering his gaze onto the petals on the ground.

“Right. But... Do you know what else white daffodils represent?”

“...What?”

“Unrequited love. Hyungwon was coughing up white daffodil petals Hoseok, you’ve managed to convince him that you don’t love him.” Kihyun said, frowning. 

“So? That was the aim.” Hoseok shrugged.

Kihyun bit his lip and averted his gaze. There was an awkward silence between them for a while, but Hoseok broke it by speaking again. “What’s with that reaction?”

Kihyun hesitantly met Hoseok’s gaze. “You haven’t done enough research, it seems. It all starts from coughing up flowers. It only gets worse from there and the victim starts throwing up whole flowers, there is intense pain from the flowers growing in the heart and lungs. It eventually leads to the victim dying....”

Hoseok’s eyes widened. All the things he’s heard about this disease — he was absolutely certain that they were all just myths, he never thought once that they could be true. But seeing Hyungwon coughing up the petals... he couldn’t ignore that. “I-Is there a cure...? There has to be, right?”

Kihyun nodded, letting out a small sigh. “There is. There’s two, actually.”

Hoseok’s expression lit up. “Then we can save Hyungwon, right? What are the cures?”

“It can either be cured if the romantic feelings become requited, or from a surgery which removes the petals. However, after the surgery, the feelings go along with the petals... the choice is yours, Hoseok. If you keep avoiding this, he’ll die. If you make him do the surgery, the feelings will go and he will feel absolutely nothing towards you. I know how you feel about him, I saw it in the way you looked at me when you realised that I drank from him. If I wasn’t your friend, you would have killed me there and then without hesitating. You need to tell him how you feel, the disease will take him away from you otherwise.”


End file.
